XXIV BHOOTA’S LAST SHIKAR 279 
mauled, the latter being broken as well. He was 
lifted tenderly into the #oxga—how thankful we now 
were to have it with us !—and Spooner at once set 
off with him to camp and the doctor. 
Before following them home I made a hasty 
examination of the dead lion and found him to be a 
very good specimen in every way. I was particularly 
satisfied to see that one of the two shots I had fired 
as he charged down upon me had taken effect. 
The bullet had entered below the right eye, and 
only just missed the brain. Unfortunately it was a 
steel one which Spooner had unluckily brought in 
his ammunition bag by mistake; still one would 
have thought that a shot of this kind, even with < 
hard bullet, would at least have checked the lion for 
the moment. Asa matter of fact, however, it went 
clean through him without having the slightest 
stopping effect. My last bullet, which was of soft 
lead, had entered close to the right eye and 
embedded itself in the brain. By this time it had 
grown almost dark, so I left the two dead lions where 
they lay and rode for camp, which I was lucky 
enough to reach without further adventure or 
mishap. I may mention here that early next 
morning two other lions were found devouring the 
one we had first shot ; but they had not had time to 
do much damage, and the head, which I have had 
mounted, makes a very fine trophy indeed. The 
lion that mauled Bhoota was untouched. 
